Client: De Montfort University The Faculty of Business and Law at De Montfort University is a 100,000 sq ft building that combines two university schools, eight departments, 250 staff, and 5,000 students. Situated at a prime location in Leicester city centre, the building offers state-of-the-art facilities, including lecture theatres, classrooms, meeting rooms, academic offices, a mock courtroom, and IT spaces. The design includes an impressive atrium and winter gardens that bring natural light and air into the core of the building, creating an inviting and modern educational environment. The project provides a central hub for business and law students, supporting collaboration and innovation in teaching and research. Services we provided Civil & Infrastructure Engineering Geotechnical & Ground Engineering Ground Investigation & Land Quality Structural Engineering Water Engineering & Flood Risk Our Role BWB was appointed to provide various engineering services for the Faculty of Business and Law, delivering civil and structural designs that aligned with the architect’s vision and the client’s requirements. Our Structural Engineering team collaborated closely with the architects to ensure the building’s integrity, utilising exposed structural frames and floor soffits to enhance the building's visual appeal and thermal performance. Structural design Our ground investigations and geotechnical engineering services were critical to assessing the site’s conditions, enabling us to design suitable foundations for the new structure. The team also developed drainage strategies to manage surface water and mitigate flood risks, ensuring the building performs optimally under various weather conditions. Infrastructure and site engineering The team also developed drainage strategies to manage surface water and mitigate flood risks, ensuring the building performs optimally under various weather conditions. Our drainage strategy effectively manages surface water, reducing the building’s environmental impact and enhancing its long-term sustainability. Ground engineering and foundations Our ground investigations and geotechnical engineering services were critical to assessing the site’s conditions, enabling us to design suitable foundations for the new structure. Sustainable design support One of the main challenges of this project was achieving high sustainability performance through the use of innovative materials and methods. The project achieved high sustainability standards by incorporating exposed structural frames and floor soffits, which optimise thermal mass for heating and cooling.